Path of Blood: The Story of Al Qaeda’s War on the House of Saud

Small and Hacker offer a book adaptation of their forthcoming documentary film on the war between al-Qaeda on the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP) and the government of Saudi Arabia. Based on extensive and unprecedented access to records from the Saudi Ministry of the Interior (MOI), seized AQAP photos and documents, Web posts, and interviews with leaders of the Saudi internal security forces, the authors describe in great detail the MOI’s three-year fight (2002–2005) to destroy AQAP. Both sides waged a media battle that used Islamic tenets to justify their actions and attempts to win over the Saudi population. The authors also describe the evolution and professionalization of the Saudi security forces as a partner to the U.S and U.K., highlighting the central role of deputy interior minister Prince Muhammad bin Nayef as leader of the security of forces. The American-educated prince balanced religion, cultural understanding, professional police work, and political moderation to gain popular support in his campaign against AQAP. The authors do not have any particular expertise in Middle East affairs or counter-terrorism, and therefore the book is a relatively straightforward account of events with only a little analysis, but it’s a solid view of operations that few Americans even know occurred. Agent: Alex Christofi. Photos.[em] (Mar.) [/em]